Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Consider Zion’s Towers
Psalm 48
1 A song, a psalm of the sons of Korah.
2 Great is Adonai, and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God—His holy mountain.
3 A beautiful height—the joy of the whole earth—
is Mount Zion, on the northern side of the city of the great King.[a]
4 God, in her palaces,
is known as a stronghold.
5 For behold, the kings assembled,
they advanced together.
6 They saw, then they were astounded,
they fled in terror.
7 Trembling seized them there,
pain like a woman in labor.
8 With an east wind
You broke the ships of Tarshish.
9 As we have heard, so have we seen,
in the city of Adonai-Tzva’ot,
in the city of our God.
God will establish her forever. Selah
10 We have meditated on Your lovingkindness, O God,
in the midst of Your Temple.
11 Like Your Name, O God,
so is Your praise
to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
12 Mount Zion is glad,
the daughters of Judah rejoice,
because of Your judgments.
13 Walk about Zion, go around her.
Count her towers.
14 Consider her ramparts,
go through her palaces,
so you may describe it to the next generation.
15 For this God is our God, forever and ever!
He will guide us to the end.
Judah Anoints David King
2 Now it came to pass after this that David inquired of Adonai saying, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?”
Adonai said to him, “Go up.”
“Where shall I go up?” David asked.
“To Hebron,” He said.
2 So David went up there, along with his two wives—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 David also brought up his men that were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron. 4 Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah.
Then they told David saying, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”
5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “Blessed are you of Adonai for showing this kindness to Saul your lord, by burying him. 6 So now may Adonai show you kindness and faithfulness; and I also will show you goodness because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore, be strong and brave, for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
Forces of Abner and Joab Battle
8 Now Abner son of Ner, Saul’s army commander, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, and brought him over to Mahanaim. 9 Then he made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel. 10 Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was 40 years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
8 Already you are full! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! Indeed, I wish you were kings, so we also might be kings with you! 9 For it seems to me that God has put us, the emissaries, on display last of all—like men sentenced to death. For we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people. 10 We are fools for Messiah’s sake, but you are wise in Messiah! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, but we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we are both hungry and thirsty, dressed in rags and mistreated and homeless. 12 We toil, working with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless. When we are persecuted, we endure. 13 When we are slandered, we speak kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the dregs of all things—even to this moment.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.